Recently, rechargeable batteries have become a main power supply system for various portable electrical apparatus, such as portable cameras, movable telephones and portable computers, and electrical connectors for rechargeable batteries become more and more important due to the wide use of such batteries.
A conventional electrical connector for a battery is disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 82103837 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,255. This electrical connector includes a plurality of conductive contacts of an N-shaped configuration. In practical use, because batteries are repeatedly detached from the apparatus for recharging, and inserted back thereto, the N-shaped conductive contacts in these batteries are liable to deform and lose resilience thereof due to repeated uses. Finally the conductive contact can no longer provide enough engaging force at the contact point, causing sudden power interruption of the apparatus. In addition, these portable apparatus especially are often used in a vibration situation. If a low engaging force is provided by an electrical contact, for example, an N-shaped conductive contact being used for a long while, power supplying would be unstable and intermittent in such a vibration situation.
Other conventional devices for fixing an electrical connector onto a printed circuit board can also be found in Taiwan Patent Application No. 82103837 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,255. In these conventional devices, a pair of metal fixing pieces are provided between an electrical connector and a printed circuit board to connect the former to the latter. In assembling, one end of the fixing pieces is secured to an insulating housing by a rivet or by integral barbs formed on the fixing pieces, and the other end is inserted into a positioning hole in the board. These metal fixing pieces, however, increase material cost of a connector because more components (the fixing pieces themselves) are used in a connector, and thus increase the assembling cost due to long assembling time, and moreover, the inventory cost. The increasing cost decreases the competition ability of a connector.
Hence, there is a need for an electrical connector for a power supply which provides reliable electrical connection with a mating connector when used repeatedly especially in a vibration situation.
Still further, there is a need for an electrical connector for a power supply which provides reliable electrical connection with a mating connector which possesses simple structure and is easy to manufacture.